MOSCOW, April 6. /TASS/. Helsinki, having decided to close checkpoints on the border with Russia, wants to limit physical contact between Finns and Russians, Russian Ambassador to Finland Pavel Kuznetsov said in an interview with TASS.

According to him, the closure of checkpoints on the Russian border has become "one of Helsinki's most noticeable confrontational steps in recent times." "The implications of Finland’s conduct are widely known. Thousands of people on both sides of the border were effectively shut off from their family and friends. Business faced new challenges. Contacts between people of our nations, which the Finnish administration had actively worked to diminish in the previous two years, are now physically limited," Kuznetsov added.

"The implications of this policy for Finland are evident in the country's eastern regions, which border Russia. The socioeconomic situation there, frankly speaking, is bleak," the ambassador stated.

Earlier, the Finnish government extended the closure of road checkpoints on the border with Russia until further notice. As previously reported by Finnish media, checkpoints on the border with Russia will be closed until Finland adopts a law on temporary measures to combat so-called instrumental migration (when refugees are allegedly used as a means to achieve certain goals), which allows to refuse shelter directly at the border. The bill is expected to be submitted to parliament in April.

Motor vehicle checkpoints on the border with Russia have been closed by decision of the Finnish government since the end of November 2023 due to the uncontrolled arrival of refugees, according to the Finnish authorities.